Civia has a new rack in the works. From the Civia blog:
Here is a sneak peak of the new Civia Mission rack. With clean lines, this light aluminum rack is rated for 40 pounds, or a good bicycle transportation load. This rack should be in stock in a few weeks.
I like the clean lines of this little rack — it reminds me of the Tubus Fly and it’s just a little Nitto-ish. With a 40 lb. weight limit it should be plenty strong for commute loads.
We’ve been using a Rickshaw Zero Messenger bag for over a year now and it’s become our favorite all-purpose messenger bag. It’s perfect for quick trips to the library or coffee shop when we need a bag for a wallet and phone, maybe a book or three, or even a small laptop and a snack. The best thing about the Zero is that it’s manufactured using a “zero waste” process:
“We were inspired by the principles of the ‘zero waste’ manufacturing movement, for both its environmental and economic benefits. This notion made us think of patterning in rectangles that fully utilize a width of fabric so no scraps are produced. By eliminating scrap, our products are more cost-effective, which translates to better value for our customers, and our operation is more environmentally friendly,” explained Rob Honeycutt, Rickshaw’s Director of Operations, and designer of the ZERO bag.
Now Rickshaw has kicked it up a notch with their new Rickshaw Performance Tweed™ fabric made exclusively for them from 100% recycled polyester:
Rickshaw Bagworks, Inc., the San Francisco-based custom messenger bag company, is pleased to announce the introduction of its first custom fabric design, Rickshaw Performance Tweed™. Rickshaw Performance Tweed™ makes its debut in the classic Herringbone pattern favored by British royalty and sportsmen (and a famous Scotland Yard detective). The design was inspired by the woolen textiles of Scotland and Ireland, refashioned for modern mobility, durability and affordability in upholstery-grade, 100-percent recycled polyester, which is finished with a high-tech, eco-friendly, stain-resistant coating. The fabric is woven exclusively for Rickshaw Bagworks in the USA. The fabric can be applied to any of Rickshaw’s products, including their computer bags, messenger bags, iPad sleeves and journal folios. Rickshaw products can be purchased on-line at www.rickshawbags.com or at their Dogpatch factory store in SF.
Isn’t that a cool looking bag? We’ll have a Zero Messenger in Performance Tweed™ for review later this month.
Velo Orange is now stocking the much needed, but hard to find, wheel stabilizer. This is a must-have item for anyone carrying significant loads over the front wheel.
Craig Calfee’s Bamboosero project has been chosen as a finalist in the BBC World News’ “World Challenge”. The World Challenge is a competition aimed at identifying the most innovative grassroots organizations and small businesses from around the world. About Calfee’s entry:
In 1995 high-end bicycle designer Craig Calfee made his first bamboo bicycle frame – and then spent 10 years improving the process to make the canes strong and durable. Calfee then began working with small workshops in the Philippines and three African countries with the aim of creating profitable small businesses. Bamboo grows fast in all these places, ensuring a ready supply of the construction material. The bikes sell locally, but entrepreneurs particularly love the idea of exporting their products to the USA, where there is a market for the increasingly high-quality and unique frames.
A new film chronicling the history of the Brompton folding bike company is due out on August 2nd. From Brompton:
A DVD has been produced by British Local Histories on the history of the company. The end product is a very polished, insightful and interesting film charting the Brompton’s development from its beginnings to the present day. Featuring interviews with inventor Andrew Ritchie, footage of the bikes being made in the West London factory, action from a past Brompton World Championship and much more, the DVD is a real “must have” for any Brompton enthusiast.
A trailer of the documentary can be viewed on the Brompton website. The DVD will be available through Brompton dealers.
Built for the Bespoke Exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design [on display right now]. Bike was made just for the show and will come with a signed book from the exhibit. On display until Aug 15th. The show may travel to other citys for the next year.
Anyone that would like to secure the bike can send me a deposit.
Trek is getting into the cargo bike business with their Transport and Transport+ longtails. Both are part of the “Gary Fisher Collection” that was recently rolled out. Specs include aluminum frames, disc brakes, and integrated racks. The “Plus” model comes stock with a 350 watt e-assist rear hub.
Renaissance Bicycles has initiated a program of donating 1% of their sales to the Adventure Cycling Association in support of the United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS). The USBRS is a proposed national network of bicycle routes that are intended to connect urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety of facilities. Read more about the USBRS at the Adventure Cycling website.
About Renaissance Bicycles (from their website):
At Renaissance Bicycles, our goal is to deliver unique high quality bicycles and components to the cycling enthusiast. The majority of our bicycles fall into the vintage category, but we occasionally offer current bicycles and components that demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship … think Moots, Rivendell, etc. Our bicycles are definitely individual creations that exemplify a high level of form and function. In other words, we build and sell beautiful bicycles that are meant to be enjoyed.
It’s been quite some time since Rivendell has offered a full-sized rear pannier. For those who have been anxiously waiting, the Sackville TourSack will be arriving soon. Riv is offering a 10% discount for pre-ordering.
Sign-ups for the Brompton World Championship are now open. This year’s event is scheduled for October 3, 2010 and will once again take place at Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. This is without a doubt the most fun, quirky, and eccentric “world championship” event in cycling. Check out the video from last year’s race to get a feel for what it’s all about.
Please check out our new site, ready for online ordering. Our bikes are the core of our business, but we have about 100 other products designed for having some style and some fun on the city streets. There is also a blog and upcoming events and a lot more to come. We’re also set up to take phone calls and email questions if you need extra assistance. And we love feedback (seriously).
Spring is here and we’ve got a few miscellaneous inventory items we’re looking to clean up. We’ve got some Hyland 3 speed, derailleur and dropbar builds looking for good homes. There’s also some Loring Base 3 models and a couple scratch and dent Lorings ready to be had. We’re also having a sale on Hyland framesets for those that are interested in building up their own bike.
Quantities are limited and pricing is good until things run out. Of note, the quantities listed in the pdf are representative of late April, so things might not still be in stock. It’s best to have your local dealer check, or give us a call yourself. We’ll be happy to let you know what’s still available.
It’s no secret that one of my favorite bicycling magazines is Peter Eland’s excellent Velo Vision; it’s the only publication out there that truly covers every type of bicycle used for transportation. Peter does a wonderful job with VV, so I was excited to hear that he’s starting a new magazine that will focus solely on electric bikes called the Electric Bike Magazine. The first issue is due out in August of this year. From the VV website:
The idea really took shape at the London cycle show last year, when we were approached by numerous electric bike manufacturers and vendors, all keen that we increase the electric bike content of Velo Vision – and that we review their products! But Velo Vision has such a range of bikes to cover, and the existing balance seems to suit many readers so well, that it soon became clear that the best option would be to start a separate, dedicated magazine.
Adeline Adeline is a new bike shop that just opened up in New York City. They offer a nice mix of products from Pashley, Abici, Retrovelo, Batavus, Linus, Brooks, Nantucket Baskets, and others. From their “About Us” page:
Adeline Adeline is a bicycle boutique for the person who wants to rediscover the style, fun and romance of cycling. The shop is a friendly, welcoming environment that focuses on the beautifully designed city bikes and accessories made famous on the streets of Copenhagen, Amsterdam and now, New York.
Adeline Adeline founder, Julie Hirschfeld started her career far away from bikes, first as a graphic designer for the television channel, VH1, and then as partner in the New York design firm, Stiletto NYC, where she worked on fashion branding and motion graphics projects with such diverse clients as New York Magazine, Conde Nast, MTV and Nike.
NuVinci’s new N360 CVP hub is due to debut at The Bicycle Show in Portland, Oregon this weekend. NuVinci lists the following improvements over their original model N170 hub:
Lighter Weight: Over 30% Lighter
Smaller Size: 17% Smaller Diameter
Wider Ratio Range: 360% “Gear-Free” Shifting
Easier Shift Effort: Even Under Load
Less Shifter Rotation: 3/4 Turn from Low to High
New, Sleek Shifter: More Intuitive; Easier Twist Adjustment
The sheer bulk of the original hub turned off a lot of people. This is still a big, heavy hub (5.4 lbs.), but it’s within a more realistic range for commuter bikes now. In my opinion, one of the most important improvements is the shorter throw on the shifter, which in the past was ridiculously long. I’m looking forward to learning more about this hub once it’s out in the wild.
Our sponsor, Organic Bikes, is rolling out their product line this week. From the Organic Bikes blog:
We finally have everything ready to launch here – and you are in for a treat! We will begin the sale of the Dylan complete bicycle this week, our bamboo grips, bottle cages, mini tools & handlebars – plus our entire line of re-claimed bicycle & messenger bags! We are working as fast as we can to update our site and get things up for sale – so check back often.